Student friendly design competitions
Looking for opportunities to get your design work out there? I put together six graphic design competitions for students to check out. Whether you're looking for something to work toward, want to get more eyes on your work, or already have a strong class project sitting in your portfolio, these are a good place to start. You don't have to wait until you graduate to start submitting your work!
01. American Graphic Design Awards — GDUSA
The American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) recognize work across a wide range of design categories. This is a good one to look through if you have work in areas like branding, identity, packaging, print, digital design, editorial, or other forms of visual communication.
Competition: American Graphic Design Awards
Organization: Graphic Design USA (GDUSA)
Check it out:
https://gdusa.com/enter-our-63rd-gdusa-design-awards/
02. AIGA Baltimore Flux
Flux is a student design competition from AIGA Baltimore created to recognize strong student design work. If you're still in school and have class projects you're proud of, this is definitely one to have on your radar.
Competition: Flux Student Design Competition
Organization: AIGA Baltimore
Check it out:
https://fluxdesigncompetition.org/
03. Young Ones Student Awards
The Young Ones Student Awards from The One Club for Creativity give students the opportunity to compete and have their work recognized alongside emerging creatives from around the world. There are multiple award programs within Young Ones, so look through the options and see which makes the most sense for the type of work you want to submit.
Competition: Young Ones Student Awards
Organization: The One Club for Creativity
Check it out:
https://www.oneclub.org/education/youngones/
04. Graphis New Talent Awards
The Graphis New Talent Awards showcase work from students and emerging creative talent. If you have a polished branding, advertising, design, or visual communication project that you think deserves more than just a spot in your class critique, take a look at their current categories.
Competition: Graphis New Talent Awards
Organization: Graphis
Check it out:
https://graphis.com/competitions/new-talent
05. Applied Arts Student Awards
The Applied Arts Student Awards recognize student work across a variety of creative disciplines. This is another good place to look if you're studying graphic design or another visual field and want an opportunity to submit work you've created while in school.
Competition: Applied Arts Student Awards
Organization: Applied Arts
Check it out:
https://www.appliedartsmag.com/student_awards/
06. Communication Arts Competitions
Communication Arts runs competitions across several areas of the creative industry, including design, advertising, typography, illustration, photography, and interactive work. Check their current competitions and eligibility requirements to see which category fits your work.
Organization: Communication Arts
Check out the competitions:
https://www.commarts.com/competitions
Before You Submit
Don't just submit to every competition you find!
Before entering, check the official competition website for:
Eligibility requirements
Current deadlines
Entry fees
Categories
Submission specifications
Geographic restrictions
Rules about when the project was created
Competition rules and deadlines can change, so always use the official competition website as your source for the most current information. Also, look through work you've already made before deciding you need to create something new. A class project, personal project, internship project, or portfolio piece you already have might be worth submitting.
Need Help Covering an Entry Fee?
I know competition entry fees can make opportunities like these harder to access, especially as a student. That's why I'm currently helping 6 students cover up to $50 each toward a design competition entry fee. You can find all the details and enter through the third pinned post on my Instagram, @jadacreativee. I created it because I want more students to have the opportunity to put their work out there without the entry fee being the thing that stops them. If you end up entering one of these, I'd love to see what you submit!
